Pontiac is reprising its role as task sponsor on The Apprentice, this time giving consumers a chance to donate to their favorite cause using the company’s money.
The automaker is donating $500,000 to nearly 300 charities nationwide and is letting consumers decide where exactly the money should go. Consumers can log on to Pontiac.com/Apprentice to register and select their favorite organization. For every selection, Pontiac will donate $1 to the cause. Consumers can register only once on the site.
The American Cancer Society, Boys & Girls Club of America, the National Wildlife Federation, Special Olympics and St. Jude Children Research Hospital are among the charitable organizations listed on the site. A 60-second spot during this past Monday’s Apprentice episode drove viewers to the Web site. That episode is one of two, culminating in the June 5 finale of The Apprentice, airing at 9:30 p.m. ET on NBC.
The promotion, which launched at noon yesterday, ties to Pontiac’s task sponsorship of the season finale. The final two candidates in the running for Donald Trump’s apprenticeship must create and run charitable events to benefit two organizations—the World Wildlife Federation and the Leary Firefighters Foundation. Pontiac sponsored the two events and is using its airtime on the show to promote its Solstice and its new G6 Hardtop Convertible.
The Web site, which showcases Pontiac’s G6 Hardtop Convertible, gives visitors a taste of the vehicle’s features.
“Pontiac is blazing trails again when it comes to doing something very different, very unique,” said Dino Bernacchi, advertising manager for Pontiac. “We wanted to create buzz and excitement and energy around…our participation in this episode. We wanted to open the gates to almost 300 national charities.”
The charitable promotion marks a first for Pontiac in which the carmaker is giving consumers the chance to direct individual donations to organizations. General Motors, the parent company of Pontiac, as well as Pontiac, regularly makes donations, Bernacchi said.
As part of its Apprentice sponsorship, Pontiac is giving consumers a chance to win a 2007 G6 Hardtop Convertible, as well as win a G6 for their charity of their choice. Consumers who submit a donation request will automatically be entered into the sweepstakes. The sweepstakes is open to consumers 18 and older and runs through June 6.
The promotion follows Pontiac’s whopping success last year with its first Apprentice sponsorship promoting its Solstice Roadster through the show. Following the episode, consumers registered to buy one of 1,000 Solstices off the assembly line. As a result, the special edition vehicle sold out in 41 minutes after the show went off-air (Xtra, April 19, 2005).
“Those were big shoes to follow,” Bernacchi said of the Solstice promotion. “The fact that this had a different spin…really made it feel different enough for us. A lot of people do have an interest in charitable organizations. We’re hoping people do activate their social network.”
Online materials and a TV spot support. Digitas, Boston, handles the Web site and banner ads; Leo Burnett, Detroit, handles the TV spot.
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